Love About Life

Every year, I have my ninth grade students make lists of what they love about their lives...the more specific, the better.

This is my week:

I love my room when it is raining hard outside, gold light inside, and everyone is working on an assignment that takes some serious thought to do, but not to grade. The room hums.

I love walking to work in the morning and seeing Christmas lights gleaming through the dawn mist on the other side of the park.

I love sitting in the (very warm) balcony of our old movie theater, surrounded by people wearing Santa Hats, all watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and hissing at Mr Potter and cheering at the bank bailout and amazing speech.

I love watching the elk herd watch us while we all listen t the geese settle in for the night on the marsh. Twilight.

I love having a second pot of tea while visiting old friends.

I love stollen, baked on Christmas Eve. I also love the idea that, although four or five of us started with the same recipe, it has evolved in all of our houses.

I love the silence that falls when everyone at the table has a full plate.

I love fuzzy pants in the evening.